You
by The-AU-enthusiast
Summary: Complete. Edward is gone and is never coming back and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Yet his family and closest friends have managed to move on without him all thanks to Edward's own love for them all. What more could he have asked for then what he already had was everything he ever wanted when he left? Nothing.
1. Edward's Pride

Edward's Pride.

Christmas.

The snow slowly fell from the dark clouds above and painted the hills and valleys of Risembool a soft shade of white.

Edward Elric, formerly a State Alchemist by the name Fullmetal, now a loving father in his mid 30's found himself looking out of the window in the bathroom of the house he had lived in since he had married the women of his life. Winry Rockbell, now Elric and his beloved wife. And the mother to his four children.

Edward looked himself in the mirror.  
If his younger self would have seen him now, he would have hated himself for looking so strangely similar to his father. Van Hohenheim.  
But ever since The Promised Day so many years ago, Edward had found himself being proud of being his father's son.  
His older self only found himself being proud whenever he saw himself in the mirror.  
It reminded him of the man who had brought two Alchemist's too the world that would end up saving it.

Edward pulled out the family picture that Hohenheim had treasured so much.  
Hohenheim was crying as he held a young Edward in his hands. His mother Trisha was holding a baby Alphonse in her arms.  
Edward had long ago thought that Hohenheim had cried in the photo because he didn't like his family. But now he knew that his father had cried because he didn't think he deserved to have such a family like theirs. And honestly, Ed found himself wanting to cry sometimes when he saw his own family.

Edward sighted and breathed out.  
Winry called, dinner was ready.  
Edward put the photo away and came out of the bathroom.  
Only to find himself nearly being run over by all the children running around the house.  
His oldest son, Edwin Elric was at the same age he was when he had saved the country.  
His eldest daughter, Trisha Elric was just as old as Alphonse had been at the same time.  
His younger daughter, Nina Elric was the same age as he had been when they had attempted human transformation that had caused both himself and his own little brother, Alphonse so much pain back in the day.  
And then there was finally his youngest son, Maes Elric, at the same age as he had been when Hohenheim had abandoned them.  
Edward felt a ting in his heart as he remembered that morning.  
And then came of course Alphonse's two daughters from upstairs.  
Clara Elric Chang, the eldest and at same age as Ed had been when they had started their journey.  
And Mia Chang Elric at the same age that Al had been when their father stepped out the door.  
Edward held for his heart once again.  
Yet as he looked at all the children running past him and towards the dinner table in the main hall, Edward felt his heart being filled with warmth and he couldn't help himself from feeling proud.  
Edward fixed his glasses and took one good look at the scene starting at the table as all the food was put down.  
Edward couldn't have felt any prouder.  
There they were.  
His family.  
His brother Alphonse. His wife Winry. Edwin, Trisha, Clara and Maes. Mei Chang and Mia.  
Edward gave away a warm and proud smile as he joined the party around the table and sat down, giving one good glance at everyone. Then at the snow outside and of course, the Christmas tree and the presents beneath.  
The table was seat and they were all ready to dig in.  
Edwin asked when Uncle Roy and Aunt Riza would come.  
Edward answered the same thing he did every year.  
That they usually came a while after they had dinner. The train ride from Central to Risembool was not a short one, especially around this time of the year.  
Thankfully, Edwin had gotten used to that answer by this time and only nodded.  
Then Edward gave the go signal and everyone started to pick to their liking.  
For being himself, Edward was strangely calm and quiet during the dinner while it was usually he who was one of the loudest of them all.  
After a while, everyone noticed that he was mostly quiet, only really talking when he had been spoken to.  
When his brother asked what was wrong, Ed just gave him a soft, warm and proud smile and waved him of gently.  
Then everyone continued.  
Edward continued to give everyone a warm look both when they noticed and when they didn't.


	2. Memories

Memories.

After the dinner was done, the kids almost immediatly began playing again.

After saying their thanks of course.

When he and his sisters had gotten in an argument about milk, Ed had ruffeld  
his son's hair and said that he was especially proud of him.

Even on Christmas, milk somehow made at least one Elric snap.

But at least Edwin wasn't that rude.

The threat of not getting any presents was still effective against him even at  
his age.

Maes had asked why his father was acting so calm when he had usually been the  
most childish of them all and usually joined their games while they waited for  
the first lady and the fuhrer to come over so that they could open their  
presents.

Edward only smiled and gave his son the same treatment as his brother.

Edward felt his heart almost rapture by all the warmth he felt within it.

He sighted and put his hands to his hips as he looked at everyone in the house.

Al and Mei was helping Winry emptying the table while Winry began making the  
dishes.

The kids were already running around.

The time in-between dinner and opening the presents was always so tense with a  
feeling of anticipation and distraction.

Edward smiled and went to his own study and library on the second floor, but  
just for a while, he wouldn't want to trade his family for the world.

Just the shear thought made Edward grab his heart like it was about to burst.

He knew what he wanted in his study.

A book.

A book that Edward always heald close to him.

A book that always calmed him down and could turn even his deepest frown  
around.

A book that he held very close to his heart.

He found it at the place where it always was.

It was a hefty, black leather book crammed in-between two books that was taboo  
for any of his children to EVER touch or open.

The day that he had told that, he had worded his words well enough to make them  
avoid the entire bookcase whenever they wanted a book about alchemy. If they  
even wanted a book from that case, it usually lead to them asking him first.

For once, Human Transmutation was useful.

It made your kids turn away from what you held the closest.

Edward grabbed the book and pulled it out and held his large hand firmly around  
it and covered the title of the book carefully.

He felt his heart ache and burn again.

He breathed out.

Mei could prolonged it, but only that. She couldn't stop it.

He shacked the thought out of his head as he went out of his study and closed  
the door behind him.

His concerned frown turned into a warm smile when he heard Al and Mei talk in  
the kitchen with Winry saying something to the children that were still  
playing.

He loved this.

And he couldn't be any more proud of it.

Edward sighted and went down the stairs, nobody even noticed him coming down  
and nobody had even seemed to have noticed he was gone.

Edward smiled as he saw his wife stand at the kitchen, a spoon in her hands,  
always ready to throw it at whoever caused the most chaos in the house.

Once again, that was usually Edward.

But not today.

Edward looked at the children running through the house and then turned to his  
brother, his wife and his brother's wife.

He gave them an unnoticed warm smile.

Then he turned around and looked at the Christmas tree.

He looked below it at the very bottom.

There was many presents laid across the foot of the tree.

That was one of the benefits of having such a big family.

Always someone who cared.

Only difference this time was that most of the presents accounted for, was from  
Edward himself.

He walked up to sofa, coffee table and one of the two reading chairs next to  
them.

Edward sat down in his favorite chair.

The chair facing away from the door and posistioned so that whoever was sitting  
there could see the stairs and most of the bottom floor rooms.

This was usually Edward's preferred spot.

Edward sat down, opened his book and filled himself with warm and pleasant  
memories to his very heart's content.

Edward sighted.

He looked up from his book and looked at Winry, Al, Mei, Mia, Edwin, Clara, Maes,  
Nina and Trisha.

He had never felt any prouder as he did right now.

He looked down at the book again and then he looked up one more time.

Then he breathed out and relaxed in the chair.

His shoulders slumped and he folded the book together, still covering the  
title.

He allowed his arms to rest across the book and on the arm rests.

Then he put his head backwards and relaxed even more.

He closed his eyes and remembered all the good times throughout the years.

He heard Alphonse, Winry and Mei talk casually and he heard the children  
playing cheerfully.

He felt himself making a small, yet soft and warm smile as he continued to  
remember.

He had never felt any warmer.

And he had never felt any prouder.

Then he breathed out.

And then he stopped.


	3. Rain on Christmas

Rain on Christmas.

It took a while before anyone noticed.

A whole two hours of Edward being completely silent and still in the same chair  
was what it took before anyone even noticed it.

- MOOOOM!Nina yelled as she tugged on her father's coat, trying to pull him  
to wake him up.

Winry stopped and looked in the direction of her youngest daughter.

- Nina? What is it? Winry asked as she stopped her discussion with Al.

- Dad won't wake up and I want him to join us in our games!Nina answered her  
mother impatiently. Definitively her father's impatience.

- He won't? Winry said a bit confused and that made Mei and Al turn around as  
well. Mei especially fast considering that they were expecting a third child in  
May.

- Okay honey, time to wake up. Stop ignoring your daughters pleas and go and  
play with them. You have been neglecting them all evening, now go and play.  
Winry said demandingly as she walked up towards the two.

No response.

Just silence.

- MOOM!Nina yelled.

- EDWARD ELRIC!WAKE UP!Winry roared and the whole house stopped.

No response. Not even a flinch or a winch.

Winry just stopped when her husband didn't even react.

- Edward...Winry said confused and concerned.

Then she looked down at her daughter.

- DAAAD!WAKE UP!Nina yelled almost desperately.

Al looked into the direction of the kid's rooms. They had stopped playing. And  
now they were coming into the main hall as well. Confused and concerned looks  
all across their faces.

Nina was crying out of anger as she continued to yell at her stubborn father to  
wake up.

- DAAD!WAKE UP!WAKE UP DAD!Nina yelled, then she fell to  
her knees, holding her father's hand tightly.

- Nina...Al said wearily.

Alphonse walked up to his still not moving or reacting brother who just laid  
back there in the chair, a pleased and warm smile on his face. Even thou his  
mouth was closed, he was smilling with his whole face.

- Brother...Your daughter is crying for you...Al said and placed a hand  
on Ed's right shoulder and tugged it a bit.

But after just one moment he stopped.

Something was off.

Al reached to the hand Nina had pulled down.

Cold.

Al gasped with his entire body and then quickly placed a hand on Edward's  
throat. And froze.

Everyone just stopped when they saw how Alphonse froze.

They could see the realization dawn on him.

With a tear-filled look he turned to Winry.

Then he fell to his knees.

- Bro...brother...Alphonse said completely breathless as he slumped  
together.

Nina looked at her uncle just fall to his knees.

- Uncle Alphonse...? Nina asked.

- He...He...Alphonse struggled, then he just fell towards the chair  
and put his hands on his brother's arm.

Winry fell to her knees, the realization shacking her entire body.

The kids quickly hurried to their parents sides.

- What...What is wrong with him...? Maes asked frightened.

This was the first time he had seen his uncle cry and the first time he had  
seen his mother cry of sadness.

- He is...Alphonse couldn't finish his sentence.

Mei walked up to Maes and for a moment thought about saying something.

Maes was only five.

She did not know how to say it.

- What have you done now father? You have made both mother and uncle cry!?Edwin  
yelled at his father, but his father didn't even react to his son's harsh  
words. Both condescending and blaming.

- MOVE IT FATHER!GET UP AND APOLOGICE TO UNCLE AL, NINA AND MOM!Edwin  
snapped.

Edward did not react.

- He...He...Alphonse sobbed out.

- He...can't...Alphonse whispered out trying to quench a sob.

- He can't...move...?Edwin said shocked, his temper completely gone.

- Not...Not anymore...Winry said and buried herself in her son's  
side.

- What...What do you mean...WHAT DO YOU MEAN UNCLE AL!?Edwin yelled  
paniced, a look of fear and dawning realisation striking him to.

Tears where welling up in his eyes to.

Al put his hands to cover from the rain.

- Trisha...Elric...Al shuddered through a sob and Trisha looked up at  
him.

- Wh-what is it? Trisha whispered out worried.

- ...The first...Alphonse said and then the rain contined.

Trisha gasped.

Everyone gasped.

Now they understood.

And now it was raining.

Edwin looked at his crying mother, and with tears overwhelming him, he just  
turned his head to look at his smiling father.

Maes, Nina, Trisha, Clara and Mia hurried to their father and uncle's side.

Trisha bursted into tears on her father's lap.

Then everyone stopped when they heard a fist hit the floor.

Everyone looked around and saw Winry.

- What...What kind of father abandons his children!...Winry yelled out  
in tears of both sorrow and anger.

Alphonse gasped.

A door was closed in the morning sun.

Then Winry stopped for a moment and looked at Al.

He was shacking.

- Al...Winry said wearily.

- Don't...Don't...Don't...say that...This is...This  
is nothing like that. Al said trying to hold back the rain, but the river banks  
were overflowing.

Winry's clenched fists hit the floor again.

- WHAT KIND OF HUSBAND DIES AND LEAVES HIS CHILDREN BEHIND ON  
CHRISTMASS!Winry roared out and then she just hit the floor, hitting the  
floor with her hands as she cried.

- Dad...Edwin said with a broken heart as he turned from his mother and  
looked at his father.

He was still smiling. So contently. So warmly. So happy .So...so pleased.

- Dad...Edwin chirped out with a broken voice, and then he walked out in the  
rain.

His fists were shacking...

It may be snowing, but it still rained.

Edwin turned to his siblings and cousins.

Then he turned to look at his father in the chair again.

He then looked at his mother, uncle and aunt.

It was raining as Edward Elric was smiling.

- ...Why...?Edwin asked through his sobs...Alphonse and Winry  
stopped crying for a moment and looked at Edwin. Thou it was raining, there was  
a fire blazing.

- Why are you...Why are you smiling...?Edwin asked his father that no  
longer could answer.

- Why are you smiling?...WHY ARE YOU SMILLING?!Edwin roared towards  
his father with the same sort of fire that Edward once had held in him.

Then Edwin fell to his knees.

The fire gone.

- ...Why...?Edwin asked as he did not even look at his father anymore  
as he let the rain come down.

Maes looked at his brother and then his mother and then his family.

He looked at the smile through his own teary eyes.

Maes just looked at that soft, warm, pleased and proud smile that his father  
wore.

His father had been wearing that smile all day. Whenever anybody had ever  
looked at him and even when they weren't looking at him, he had been smilling  
that soft smile at everyone.

Maes rain drops joined the other rain drops as he tried to mimic his father's  
smile.

He fell to his knees and sat down before his brother.

Maes turned his head downwards and even thou nobody in the household belived in  
God, Maes prayed that his father would get a safe passing.

When he was done, everyone was looking at him.

- Maes...Winry said trying to calm her tears.

Maes only nodded and gave her the same smile Edward was giving everyone and  
then turned to his father.

Maes only nodded towards his father when he approved of him.

Then he got up and without a word walked up to the sofa and jumped into it, put  
his hands together and watched his sleeping father rest contently at his  
favourit spot in the house.

Everyone was looking at him.

A fire had dried Maes tears.

He had been dried from the rain.

He smiled the same as his father.

And then everyone looked at his father.

- Why? Why is he smiling while we are weeping? Why is he smilling when he is  
dead? Maes asked. Not accusing or blaming. Not even in a curious fashion. But  
in a determined fashion. A way that made it sound like the five year old boy  
knew all the answers in the world.

- Why? Edwin asked his little brother.

Maes only smiled and waved as he answered.

- Van Hohenheim. Grandpa Van Hohenheim. Maes had answered like it should be  
obvious and everyone shifted from looking on him and looking at Edward.

Then Trisha throwed a wrench at her younger brother for being so vague.

- TRISHA!Winry yelled angrily.

Maes rubbed his head as he got back up in his little spot.

Everyone looked at Edward once again.  
- Hohenheim...Father...? Alphonse asked as he got back to his feets,  
walked up to the sofa and sat down next to Maes.

Maes only nodded.

- It should be obvious why he is smiling. It should have been obvious why he  
was smilling like that all night. And why he was so quiet all day. Maes said  
after some time, still looking proudly at his father still slumped over in the  
chair, still the warm and proud expression on his face.  
- Hohenheim...Alphonse repeated.  
- He cried for his family...Because he loved them and they loved him. Maes  
said before Alphonse had gathered the information.  
Everyone looked at the proud little boy and then at the man in the chair.  
Could that be true? Could that really be why?  
- Aren't we our father's pride? Maes asked his siblings and they all looked at  
him, nodded and then looked at their father before looking back at Maes and  
nodded again.

Winry, Mei and Alphonse looked Edward as he sat contently in the chair.

Relaxed and at ease.

Yes, his smile was proud, but pride did not dominate his feathers nor his  
smile.

It was something else.  
- That is true...Alphonse started and everyone looked at him and started  
to recover themselves, throwing quick glances at the smile on Edward's lips.  
- But why doesn't it feel as proud as it usually does whenever he smiles at  
you. And why is he smiling at all of us if you were his pride...Alphonse  
said, his voice was shacking once again as he planted his face in his palms as  
he looked in his brother's direction.  
- Why is he even smiling...If you weren't even here in the room...Why  
is he even smilling at all...Winry said sitting in the chair turned  
towards the other chair and faced the door, her hands were joined together.  
It was raining once again.  
- Mom...Nina said and walked up to her mother's side.  
- Why...Why is he smiling like that...Why...Winry asked and  
looked towards her husband and then towards the ring on his ring finger and  
then to the ring on her own ring finger.  
- Why are you smiling as you leave us behind without you...Winry said  
whimpering and the rain became a drizzle.

And then the door flung open and a cold winter wind blew through the entire  
house.

- Yo Elrics!Roy Mustang said sheepishly as he and Riza Mustang walked through  
the door, the cold winter world outside blasting through the warmth in the  
house.

Their two children appeared behind them.

Maya and Dan Mustang.

But when everyone in the house looked up at them, the snow was rain.

Roy and Riza just stopped in their tracks.

They looked towards the crowd.  
Roy sighted out defeated as Dan closed the door behind them.  
- Why is it always that we have such a bad timing on christmass?...Roy  
sighted out defeated and hung of his cold coat.  
- What is it now? Why is it raining? Riza asked when she saw that everyone  
sitting around the living room had red eyes of sorrow looking at the four.  
- It's...Edward...Winry said and looked down.  
No one greeted them.  
This was a bad sign.  
And the Mustang's noticed it.

- What has Fullmetal's short temperament done now? Roy asked as he hanged away  
his and his family's outdoor clothes and then walked up to Edward sitting in  
his chair.

No reaction whatsoever.

Riza had noticed that while everyone shivered whimpered when the cold air had  
blasted through the house, the man in the chair had not even reacted.  
- He is...Winry said as new tears came flowing.  
Dan went to her side.  
- Fullmetal...Your whole family is crying...What have you done now?!Roy  
said a bit frustrated and placed a hand on Edward's shoulder while Riza did the  
same on Edward's wrist.  
Then all the worst fears were meet and the frustration died like a match in  
water.  
- Edward...Roy said shocked and took a few steps back until he collapsed  
onto a kitchen chair.  
He slumped together and held his head with his left hand, his eyes shut tight.  
- Dad...Mom...Maya asked worried as she looked at how her parents just  
slumped together after having touched Uncle Ed.  
- Edward...Roy said beneath his breath.  
- ...He is...Winry tried to say through a sob.  
- Dead...Al said with a heavy sight and just folded his hands over his  
face.

Dan and Maya just stopped and looked at the man smiling contently in the chair.  
Looking completely relaxed.


	4. A Fullmetal Heart

A fullmetal heart.

Rain was never a good sign.  
It usually meant that something had gone wrong.  
But for it to rain on Christmas...Something must have gone TERRIBLY wrong.  
And it had gone terribly wrong.  
Edward Elric had died on Christmas surrounded by his family without his family  
even noticing or realizing what had happened for nearly two whole hours after  
that they had dinner when he had been completely fine.  
And he had died with a smile on his face.  
Roy groaned as he put a hand on his head.  
Why did they always have such a bad timing?

Last year, they arrived and found Edward laying on the floor, unconscious with  
a wrench besides him and Alphonse trying to wake him up after that Winry had  
given him a practically strong throw with her wrench. The wrench had knocked  
him out cold and had given him a serious concoction and for the entire rest of  
the day he had been unconscious, not waking up until a week later.

The year before that, the Mustang's had skipped dinner with Hawkeye's family  
and had decided to have dinner with the Elric's instead. Only to find out that  
they had just had an early dinner.

But this...This was by far their worst moment when it came of marching  
through the front door.  
They had walked in on the whole family mourning Edward.  
Roy sighted. This was not a good day indeed.  
Roy opened his tired eyes and looked at everyone in the house.  
If it rained on Christmas, it really wasn't a good sign.  
But for Ed to be smiling as he left the world?

Those words where on almost everyone's lips when they weren't weaping at the  
loss of a brother, a father, a husband and an uncle.  
- Why is he smiling...?Roy had asked from the table, not wanting to risk  
walking over to the Elrics, breaking their sanctum.  
- We...We don't...know...Alphonse sighted heaviliy and looked at his  
brother.  
- We don't know why he is smiling like he does...We don't know why he is  
smiling...We don't know...We don't know...Alphonse answered with a  
heavy sight and sob.

Roy sighted again and massaged his head, fighting against his worst Edward  
induced headache in years.

- What kind of...What kind of a father leaves behind a loving wife, a  
carring brother and four adorable children without even saying anything to  
them, only leaving behind a smile? Roy asked and then regretted it as the rain  
returned, but everyone looked at him.  
- We have been...Thinking about it...All evening...Ever since we  
found out...Al said shaky. Understandably, he was Edward's brother and the  
two were almost inseparable.  
But now it had happened. They had been seperated.  
Roy and Al sighted and slumped back again.  
- We...we think...or at least...some of us...Winry started and  
looked at her children.  
- We think that he smiles because he loved his family. Or atleast...we  
did...but we were his pride, but there is more to him then just pride. Winry  
said and locked eyes with Maes and Edwin for support.  
Riza looked at Mei.  
She hadn't even said a word, yet it looked like she was about to burst. Not  
just from tears and seeing everyone cry.  
- Mei...What is it? Riza asked cautiously and looked at Mei. And that was  
all that it took.  
- This is might...All of this is my fault...Mei said quickly and then  
bursted out into tears.  
Alphonse looked up from his palms as he heard his wife cry.  
Everyone now looked at her confused and shocked.  
- This is all my fault...I couldn't stop it...And now...Now he is  
gone...AND IT IS ALL BECAUSE OF ME!ALL BECAUSE I COULDN'T STOP  
IT!Mei bursted out into tears and fell back onto herself.  
Alphonse looked at her as she cried into her dress.  
- Stop what? Alphonse asked concerned and confused moments before Winry asked  
the same question.  
- His heart...His whole body...Something had gone wrong...The  
remains of his...His automail...the remains of his automail had begun  
corroding in his body and the rust and metal was slowly spreading through his  
blood. He asked me to try and heal the damaged that had already been done last  
time he was in Xing...Mei explained, and all of a sudden, Alphonse hesitated  
whether or not he should place a supporting hand on his wife's shoulders or  
not. Winry had frozen.  
- I did the best I could...I did the best that I could...I did my  
best...yet it wasn't enough. The damaged had already been done...No  
matter how much I tried to heal him or how many healed him...We only  
could...could prolong it...We couldn't stop the metal from tearing his  
heart apart and making it slow down...I couldn't stop it...No one  
could...We could only prolong it...We couldn't stop it...We  
couldn't stop it...Mei explained in tears through her dress.  
The hand came and she looked up and saw Alphonse's honest eyes.  
They weren't judging or blaming her.  
They were understanding her.  
- Automail...Winry broke the silence.  
Everyone looked at her.  
She was shacking.  
- Automail...My automail...It killed him...It killed  
him...I killed him...I killed him...Winry said trembling and  
then she just broke down into tears, everyone hurrying to her side.  
- No Winry...No Winry...You didn't kill him...You didn't kill  
him...You didn't...kill him...Alphonse said warming and soft, his  
voice was weak and tired, but it was honest. he slumped down beside her and put  
her arms over her shoulders.  
- But I did...But I did kill him...Those few bolts that remained in his  
flesh...had I ever tried to remove him...he might still be  
here...Winry sobbed and she looked at her beloved husband, now gone.  
Edwin turned his head from his mother and looked at his father.  
A fire in his eye.  
Roy noticed it.

- Why are you smiling when mother is crying? Edwin asked sternly. His voice was  
filled with spite and anger.  
Al, Roy, Riza and Winry looked up and looked at Edwin.  
That voice, that tone, that was the same voice that Edward had used in his  
younger years when he had talked about or to Hohenheim.  
- Why...?Edwin had asked and the fire was gone and it was raining again.  
- Are you...Are you...are you happy because you finally got to leave  
us...?Edwin asked under his tears.  
And Winry collapsed into her hands and began to cry once again.  
Edwin had a dark look in his eyes as he looked at his father sitting so calmly  
in the chair with the mysterious smile on his lips.  
He did not even seem to notice or care that almost everyone had teared up at  
the possibility that it was true.  
Roy looked at Edwin.  
Even when crying, the fire seemed to be there, but burning beneath the water.  
The thought that hearbreaking. But could it be true?  
- Would he...Would he...Do you think that he would be happy...to  
leave us behind...?Trisha had asked and walked past Edwin and put hands on  
her father's hands resting over the black leather book.  
- Would he?...Didn't Maes say it...That we were his pride and joy?  
That...That...That...Trisha whimpered through some sobs and tears  
before she broke down and cried on her father's lap.  
Maes only nodded as the tears came flowing.  
- He probably never told you or any other of us about his condition...because  
he did not want you to worry about him...That he did not want you to stop  
smiling...Mei said after a stunningly long time of silence.  
Al looked.  
- That sounds like...He cared more about us then himself. And even when he  
probably felt his heart falling him, he probably hid them so that we wouldn't  
have to worry about him...Alphonse said quivering, trying to hold back his  
tears.  
He looked at his brother.  
- I don't think he smiles because he had to leave us...Alphonse said afetr  
a while and then just slumped together, Mei and their children coming to his  
side.  
- But why...He could have still told us...Alphonse sobbed under his  
breath.  
Edwin remained silent.  
Edwin looked at his father.  
The fire in his eyes nearly set him ablaze.  
The next thing he said broke everyone's heart.  
- You're a terrible father...dad. Edwin said holding back a sob as it  
continued to rain.  
- DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT ABOUT HIM!EDWARD LOVED US ALL  
EQUALLY!Winry roared at her oldest son, her rage and fury blazing higher than  
even the fire within his eyes.  
Then it was gone.  
- Then why...Then why did he leave us...Why did he have to  
leave...Why did he leave...Me...?Edwin asked, not turning around to  
face his sobbing mother as he just fell to his knees without another word.  
- He did not want to leave...He did not choose to leave...He tried to  
stop it...He couldn't...He couldn't...The metal that earned him  
his title took his heart...And it took him away from us...Mei sobbed  
under Alphonse supporting gaze as he placed a hand on her shacking shoulders.  
- You didn't take him away from us...Nor did his automail...He didn't  
kill himself...Neither of you killed him...Time killed him...Time  
inevitably kills everyone...Even thou his time was short, he did more in  
his time then we can hardly understand...Time takes its toll on  
everyone...No one can escape it...No one...Not even...My  
brother...Alphonse said trying to sound strong, but the further along he  
went, the quieter his voice became. In the end, a darkness hung over him as he  
slumped together.  
- How can you...how can you say that with such a straight face Uncle  
Al...You are speaking about our father and your own brother...And yet  
you say...You say it like it is natural...Nina said and faced her  
uncle from her father's side, rivers running.  
- Because...it is...It may have been a sickness, but time took the  
first Trisha, it just helped her on the way. Time took our father...And  
now...It has taken brother...Alphonse said and tried to look up, but as  
soon as he meet everyone's eyes, he slumped together again.  
- Brother may be gone...but...but he is still with us...in  
the time we shared together with him...in our memories...Alphonse  
said, his voice sounding almost hollow and metalic.  
Mei, Winry, Riza and Roy looked at up that.  
It almost sounded like Alphonse was back in the armor.  
Roy sighted and tried to hold back the overflowing emotions.  
It was hard to try and contain his raging emotions behind a cold and  
emotionless front.  
Riza knew more than well that he was trying to hold it up, but she too was  
failing at keeping her own emotions in check.  
Their children looked at the group and then their own parents.  
- Should we leave? Maya asked, almost too afraid to ask.  
- And leave them without anyone to support themselves on? Riza stated sharply  
at her daughter and then looked at the mourning familiy.  
- No. Roy answered coldly. Everyone looked at him.  
Everyone.  
That was the voice Roy usually used when he was in the darkest corners of his  
mind.  
- If we leave them now, history might repeat itself. Roy asked and then sent a  
look to Edward's left leg before looking at Alphonse who gasped lightly.  
- If we leave them now, they will be all alone...And that is when they need  
who they love the most...If we stay, they are not said and looked  
directly at the younger Elrics.  
His look was serious, stern and cold.  
Alphonse, Winry and Mei nodded.  
Roy sighted and walked up to Edward.  
- Fullmetal...Your wife is weeping while you are smiling. And we are asking  
ourselves...Why? Why are you smiling? Why are you smiling about dying? Last  
time I checked with you, death was the last thing on your mind. Roy said  
sternly, but he tried to sound determined.  
Winry looked up at him and Edward.  
- You're right Fuhrer...Edward has always been about life and living. He  
always has been. Maybe he is smiling for having lived such a good life? He even  
thanked Truth himself every morning he woke up...Ever since we last visited  
Xing and that was last year ago...He was always happy to be alive and for  
being able to live in this world...And for having such caring family...You're  
right Roy...He isn't smiling because he had to leave us...He is smiling  
because he knew that he had lived a good life. Winry said, the darkness finally  
leaving her.  
Everyone looked up at her, Roy and then Edward.  
The darkness leaved all of them.  
The fire calmed down, but it spread to everyone.  
- Edward...I wonder...Your family was what you lived for and was  
your pride...Yet you are smiling knowing that we were coming...That I was  
coming...Roy said softly, even a bit warm.  
Riza stood up from her chair.  
Alphonse looked at him for a moment.  
- Brother may not have stated it openly to you...but he did care alot about  
you Roy...He always did...As a friend...As family...As the father  
he never had...Alphonse said softly, the hollow cold gone from his voice.  
It was a relif.  
- He always lit up in some way whenever you came...Like your arrival was his  
own personal highlight of Christmas. Trisha said with many found memories of  
The Mustang's coming to them.  
- Maybe they were...Maybe he lit up because his best friends finally  
arrived. That they themselves was his own gift...Winry said looking at the  
four Mustangs.  
Roy only looked at his former friend.  
The next second, Roy just collapsed into a fit of tears and rage.  
The mothers and father protected their young ears.  
And even thou the words were charged with fire and many foul words, the meaning  
was the same.  
- Why did you never tell me anything!?Why did you never tell me!?Roy had  
screamed with some nasty insults smeared around the sentences and a few  
sentences dedicated about what he did not think of the man smiling in the  
chair.  
The last thing he yelled before his voice was drowned in sorrows was a repeated  
question.  
- WHY ARE YOU SMILLING WHEN YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILIY IS WEEPING!?  
Roy had roared before his voice disappeared in rivers of rain.  
Riza went to the place where she would always be.  
His side.  
Maya and Dan hurried to their father's side, trying to calm him.  
To give him strength and support.  
But what kind of building could stand without any support?  
And when Roy finally managed to swallow some of his tears, he looked up and  
glared at the former state alchemist.  
- WHY?!He had growled before blasting through the arms and rising to his feets,  
his eyes red by tears.  
- WHY!?Roy had roared before he noticed the book in the old man's hands and  
froze.  
The second unvoiced question took Roy's voice.  
- What is that book he is holding? Roy had asked, his anger and sorrow  
completely gone and walked up to his old friend and looked down at the black  
leather book resting beneath his hands.  
All of the Elric's answered almost in unison.  
- We don't know. The whole Elric family had almost answered in unison.  
Roy did not groan, he only sighted. A sad sigh at that.  
- What could be more important to Edward Elric that he felt the need to guard  
it as he left this world? Roy thought out loud as he approached Edward and  
started to move the hands on the book, trying not to change their positions to  
much.  
Alphonse, Winry and Mei all looked at each other's before turned to face Roy  
and answer in unison.  
- Probably Alchemy. They all said in unison.  
The next second, the book was out of Edward's cold hands and in Roy's warm  
hands.  
He did not even bother to look at the title of the black book and just opened  
it up on a random page.  
The next moment, Roy gasped and the book hit the floor.  
Roy staggered backwards and fell to the floor.  
In tears.  
Everyone looked at Roy before turning to the book.  
It was a book filled with memories.

Alphonse went up to the book, closed it and then went back to the sofa,  
everyone was looking at him, trying to get a good look at the book.  
Alphonse turned the book so that the front faced them.  
They went silent.

The book's title was written in gold.

And its title was Memories.


	5. The Book of The Past

The book of the past.

Everyone and everything was silent.  
Nobody wanted to break the silence.  
They all looked at the man smilling in the chair.  
His smile was warm, content, relaxed, calm and had a hint of pride.  
Alphonse turned away from his brother and looked at the title once again.  
- Memories...Alphonse repeated before he turned to the first page.  
And everyone gasped.

On the first page was an old photo that barely anyone except Winry and Al had  
seen. Since the rest of the people who would have seen this photo before it was  
lost to the flames of a burning house were in heaven now.  
The first photo was on the opposite side of the cover.  
And it was titled The Beginning.  
And it was a picture of The First Trisha in a hospital bed, overjoyed, holding  
a small newborn baby wrapped up in blankets in her arms.  
A happy Honheim was besides her, holding the camera.  
The date of the picture was Edward's birthday.  
The first real page held another picture.  
It was titled Brother.

And the picture was once again the first Trisha in a hospital bed, a baby in  
her arms and a one year old Edward clinging to Hohenheim's chest as they all  
looked at the tiny Alphonse in his tiny arms.  
The children awwed while Alphonse went red with a faint and warm smile on his  
lips.  
And that was only the first two pages.

The next 10 or so pages were filled with about two to four pictures each of Ed  
and Al as infants and children. All from playing in the backyard...Teasing  
and playing with Winry to arguing about pointless stuff or even fighting. And apologizing.  
A lot of them apologizing to each other's and a lot of the two of them  
sleeping.  
A picture called You know the answer already showed Ed and Al arguing about  
something with Winry and it was two pictures in one.  
The other one was Ed and Al fighting about something.  
Al and Winry remembered just what it was the two were fighting about.  
Winry lifted her hand and looked at her ring before looking at her children and  
then her husband.  
Below the picture is said Size really doesn't matter.

Then there was a picture that Ed had personally reprinted while he kept the original  
close at hands. The picture sticking out of his right pocket.  
The family photo that Hohenheim had held dear.  
It had been on the second page and it was all alone on that page.  
It was titled Love goes in the family.  
Roy and sighted warmly at that.

Then all of a sudden, there was a large gap in time.  
But instead, there were pictures of automail blueprints.  
And Winry went silent.  
- His first...His first automail...Winry had gasped both nostalgically  
and sorrow filled.  
She covered her eyes to hide them from the rain.  
Edwin, Trisha, Nina and Maes were all puzzled.  
Why did their father need an automail arm when he had a perfectly fine one now?

Al only said that it was a long story.

A story related to the bookshelf the book had been stored in.

Then, there was a picture taken two months after The Promised Day.  
Winry crying happy tears over Ed and Al.

The picture on the next page was the three of them all happy and proud with the  
clear sky and bright sun behind them.

The first had been called Tears of Joy and the second one had been called The  
Golden Trio. Below the second one it said Without us, you wouldn't be standing  
here.  
The room went quiet.  
The children did not understand what that statement meant and Winry only  
repeated what Al had said.  
Roy and Riza did the same.

Then on the next set of almost 15 pages were pictures of Edwards and Winry's  
wedding and honey moon all over the country.  
And of course, of some places were Edward had visited on his journeys before he  
had married Winry.  
Then came a picture well known to many.

A picture of Edward holding a young Edwin in his hands with Winry besides him  
and Mei, Alphonse and Paniniya standing outside a workshop in Rush Valley.  
Edward smiling his proudest and happiest smile.  
The picture had no real title, because there were to many of them written down.  
One of them was The end of a journey and the start of a new adventure.

On the next page was nine pictures of Winry's pregnancy with Edwin and then the  
tenth was Ed besides Einry in a hospital bed with baby Edwin in her arms.  
Then shortly after came the first months of father and motherhood of the both  
Edward and Winry.  
And then came ten pictures of the journey to Trisha Elric the second.  
And soon came the the ten pictures that lead up to Nina Elric.  
Then the ten pictures of Sara Elric. And there were very few pictures of her as  
she had gone at only age 2.

Then came Maes Elric.

There were pictures mixed in-between with Ed being reunited with Al and Mei  
after their time in Xing.  
Al and Mei as doctors and Ed as a scholar and librarian and Winry working with  
automail.  
Then when Al turned to the next page, it was as the years had reset themselves.

Because on the next page was only a paper.

A paper from the fuhrer, King Bradley, giving Edward the title of the state  
alchemist by the name of Fullmetal.  
Roy and Riza came closer.  
The next set of pages were filled with newspaper cut outs and photos taken by  
civilians, a few of them signed by the Fullmetal Alchemist.  
All of them was from different missions throughout the years.  
Roy, Riza and Alphonse remembered almost every single event in the pictures  
while all the children just looked at them in amazement.  
- Wooooow...The Elric children had said more than once and sometimes in  
unison, sometimes only one of them had said it.  
- Yeah...Your father was a great man...And great brother...And a great  
friend. Roy and Al had answered at different times.  
The 2nd to last picture in that set was a picture of Ed helping a malnourished  
Al to stand in the ruins of the old Central HQ on The Promised Day.  
The children looked at Al and then the picture.  
Again and again before asking.  
- What happened? The children from all three parts of the familiy had asked and  
all the adults had just sighted.  
- It's a long story. They had all answered.

The next segment was of pictures of Ed and Al in their adult years, taking care  
of their children, doing their jobs and being themselves.

There was a picture of the military waving goodbye to them when they discharged  
themselves from the military.

And then came pictures of the many reunions that they had throughout the years.  
Roy and Riza had both smiled and laughed.

Then there were some rather embarrassing pictures of Ed and Al.

The most embarrassing was Ed and Al, standing completely naked with the picture  
cut of right beneath their waist lines.  
Ed smiling proudly and triumphant while Al looked down embarrassed and  
defeated.  
The title was about being tall and not short.  
And no adult wanted to explain what that meant.

Then came a set of pictures that Al wished that his brother had not kept.  
The two of them out on town on drinking nights.

There were first a few pictures of Ed and Al being calm, clinking glasses,  
drinking and having a good time.

Then came a picture called Edward the angry drunk.

Next to it was a picture titled Alponse the sad drunk.

Then there were a few pictures of them when they were knocked out.

A partially funny and embracing one had been titled Elricrest and it featured  
the two brothers sleeping in each other's arms, almost making out.

The next set of pictures were called Hangovers.  
And many of them featured Edward in custody.  
And below them it said that Edward stayed in that cell for every person he had  
punched or hurt while he was drunk, even when he had completely sobered up and  
the hangover was gone.  
Winry even explained that whenever Ed and Al had gone out to drink that she was  
not allow to call the police or anything until two days after their night out.  
Quite a few of the pictures were just of Ed sitting alone in the cell.  
Both Winry and Alphonse hurried past those pictures until they came to a  
segment entitled Holidays.

And that was when the painful reality hit them all again and they all looked up  
and saw the snow outside and Edward sitting in the chair.  
Once again, time reset in the pictures and the first few holiday pictures were  
of Ed and Al's different holidays with their family. Both with and without  
Hohenheim.

Then there was a gap until Ed was around 18 or 19 were the pictures resumed.  
And then of course, the holiday pictures began to fill out with people and family.  
A few Christmas pictures proved that Edward really did light up whenever the  
Mustang's arrived.

And then came the pain filled reality again.

The last holiday picture put into the book, just a few pages left in the book.  
A mere 2 was the picture taken of the whole family just taken a few months ago.

On Halloween.

Their last Halloween with Edward.  
Maes had been dressed up as Selim Bradley, thou they had called the suit Pride.  
Alphonse had taken on his military uniform and put an eye patch over his left  
eye and called himself Wrath even thou he looked like King Bradley.  
Winry had been forced to wear some rather open clothes that made her look like  
Lust.  
Edwin had gotten to borrow his father's old clothes and looked like the state  
alchemist seen earlier in the book.  
Nina had made her own dog costume. Something that had made her father and uncle  
very quiet and somber that day.  
Trisha had dressed herself like a fairy.  
And just because Edward could, he had dressed himself up as Father.  
Mei had become a silly looking dragon with Clara and Mia as the body and tail.  
Roy had dressed himself up like Scar and Riza had made herself look like an  
Ishvalan.  
Dan had become a chibi version of Kimblee and Maya had dressed herself like her  
mother.  
They were all smiling at the camera.  
There wasn't a single sign of Edward having a bad heart in any single one of  
the pictures in the entire book.

Alphonse turned to the last two pages and found that the second to last was the  
whole family outside of the house during a day of summer.  
They were all having fun.  
And then they all looked at the last picture in the book.  
The picture on the backside of the back of the book.  
It was entitled The End and the title below it was...You make me smile.  
There was no picture between those two titles, but the frames for putting a  
picture there.  
Then everyone looked up and saw Edward sitting in the chair.  
At the end of his life, smiling.  
The words of the second title hung in the air.  
Al gently closed the book and looked at his brother.  
All sadness and sorrow washed away from his face by all the memories and kind  
words.  
He sighted and fell back into the sofa.  
Everyone sighted and breathed out a deep breath.  
- I think I understand now...I think I understand why he is smiling.  
Alphonse said and then looked at his brother.  
A smile formed on his lips.  
Everyone looked at him and his brother.  
And their smiles.  
They were the same.


	6. His reason for smilling

His reason for smiling.

Alphonse sighted and closed the book in his lap after what had felt like an eternity  
of silence while it had only been a moment.  
Then he closed his eyes, looked down a bit before he sighted, opened his eyes  
and looked at his brother again.  
- I think...I think he is smiling because we are crying. Alphonse said with  
a warm, honest voice as he continued to look at his brother.  
- ALPHONSE ELRIC!THAT IS A TERRIBLE THING TO SAY ABOUT EDWARD/YOUR  
BROTHER!Both Mei and Winry had roared from both sides of Alphonse, but  
Alphonse seemed completely untouched bu their roars. While Winry's fury scared  
the children, she sounded more hurt then anything.  
- No...You don't understand...Alphonse said still completely calmly as he  
put his elbows on his knees.  
- I don't think my brother is smiling because he got to leave this world or  
because he had to leave us. Even you think it sounds absurd. You only said it  
because you thought you had not noticed him as he left. Alphonse said calmly  
and looked towards everyone. He was not blaming or accusing anyone. He himself  
had thought similarly.  
- But that just doesn't answer it. It goes against almost everything that  
brother was. And is. Alphonse said as everyone looked at him.  
- My brother was a great man. He loved this world. While the world might have  
been cruel to him, it made him strong and it made him a man loved by many  
across the whole country. Alphonse said with a sight.  
- I think he is smiling because he knew we would cry for him. We all loved him  
very dearly. He was very close to us all. He is smiling for all the friends he  
made, for all the promises he kept and for being able to get such a wounderful  
life that he had before he had to leave it. Alphonse said before he started to  
look at everyone.  
- I think he is smiling for all the fond years he had with you Winry. And even  
those years and moments you don't think fondly off, he still cared for. They  
mattered very much to him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have them so close to his  
heart. He is smiling for all those years of worry and love that you gave him  
Winry. Alphonse said truthful and warm to Winry who now looked at him with an  
understanding look before looking at her husband.  
Alphonse then looked at Edwin, Trisha, Nina and Maes.  
- I think he is smiling because he got to live through the childhood he lost  
through the eyes of a role he greatly admired. And that he got to bring so many  
great lives into this world and that he gave the people he had failed a second  
chance in life and that could be there for the time he could. Alphonse said and  
then smiled at the four children.  
Trisha, Nina and Maes looked a bit confused before they understood what their  
uncle had said and smiled back.  
Edwin smiled again.  
Then they all turned to face their father.  
Edwin no longer felt bad for his father.

Alphonse turned to face his own family.  
- He is smiling because even thou he nearly destroyed my life, he still managed  
to save it. And that I managed to recover and restore it and that I have lived  
with all my being ever since he sacrificed such a great deal of his life for  
me. He is smiling because I no longer need him to watch out for me and that I  
have my own things to watch over for. He is smiling because just like him, I  
managed to move on from the past. And that I found the way back to the joys of  
life after so many years in the cold. Alphonse and looked at his family before  
they looked towards Edward.  
Then Alphonse turned to look at the Mustangs.  
- I think he is smiling because of all the great friends he had made throughout  
the years and the people who loved him throughout the country for all the  
things he did. He is smiling because he brought happiness to so many other  
lives and still got enough happiness in his own life to have some to spare.  
Alphonse said sincerely and honestly.  
Roy, Riza, Dan and Maya looked at Edward.

Alphonse turned back to looking at his brother.  
- If what you told me is true Mei...Alphonse started.  
- It is. Mei reassured.  
- ...Then I don't think my brother wanted to leave the world. He wanted to  
stay. To bring more happiness to the world. But when he couldn't, he left. But knowing  
that he would be greatly missed. Missed by everyone. Missed by everyone who  
cared for him and loved him. Alphonse said with a warm fire in his voice and  
eyes as he spoke.  
Alphonse opened the book again and turned up one of the last pictures in the  
book.  
Last year's Christmas picture.  
The placed the book on the table and everyone looked at it.  
Everyone that was here now was there back then.  
The only difference from the Edward in the picture and the now was that while  
Edward back then had bandages around his head and was completely out, he was  
still there with him in spirit.  
Alphonse looked up from the picture and soon everyone else did and looked at  
Edward.  
Then back at the picture.  
Even thou everyone was worried about his condition and state about the time,  
they still knew that Edward treasured these pictures they took yearly and that  
even thou he could not participate directly, he could still be present.

While his family and Al looked a bit worried and very close to the chair.  
The unconscious Edward last year and Edward of the now was in, they still smiled  
so that when Edward would wake up, he could still see that even thou they all  
worried about him that they were fine.

Everyone looked at Alphonse, the picture and then Edward.  
The picture was titled The Greatest Gift.  
The secondary title was What more could you possibly wish for?  
Alphonse sat back into the sofa again.  
He sighted.  
- I think this picture is proof enough of why he is smiling. He is smiling  
because he knew that he could leave us and we would still be alright. There  
were other people there who cared and we could take care of ourselves without  
him. For once, he did not need to sacrifice anything to make everything  
alright. He knew that. Alphonse said calmly and looked at his brother.  
- He knew that we would cry for him. He is smiling because he knew we would  
care for him. He knew that. He died knowing that he was loved and that he would  
still be loved once he was gone. Alphonse sighted and looked at the picture  
again.  
The Christmas tree was barely visible, but it was clearly visible that that the  
presents had not been opened yet.  
Because of the whole thing that had happened, Edward was the only thing on everyone's  
mind until he woke up a whole week later.  
And when he had seen that picture, he had smiled and cried.  
Then everyone had opened their presents once he was awake again. Because it had  
just not felt right to not have him there when they opened them.  
Alphonse glanced at the picture, then at the whole book itself as it laid open  
on the table. Then at his brother, still smiling. And then at the Christmas  
tree.

Then Alphonse jumped to his feet's.


	7. His Last Gift

His last gift.

- Alphonse...What are you doing? Winry said a bit shocked at the sudden  
movement.  
Everyone was.  
Alphonse walked up the book and grabbed it in both his hands and pulled of the  
table.  
He looked at the Christmas picture.  
It had not felt right back then to open all the presents when he could not be  
there to receive them and open them, but now, it almost felt like a necessary  
thing.  
Alphonse glanced over at the Christmas tree.  
Al let out a silent gasp as his eyes widened.  
He then turned back to face everyone and then turned back around to the tree.  
He closed the book, walked up to the tree and kneeled down before it.  
- Al...Mei said a bit confused.  
- ...Al...Winry said a bit puzzled.  
- Alphonse...Roy said a bit thrown off.  
- Alphonse...Riza said bewildered.  
Alphonse kneeled down before the Christmas tree and started to pull out some of  
the presents.  
Now everyone really started looking at him.  
- Al/Alphonse, what are you doing? All of the adults asked.  
Alphonse sighted and closed his eyes for a while as he stopped, then he opened  
them and continued with what he was doing.  
- Last year when brother was knocked out, we did not open any of the presents  
because it did not feel right to open ours when he could not be there to open  
his. Alphonse said still soft and warm in his voice, but he sounded tired yet  
determined.  
- And we did, we waited for a week before he woke up so that he could open his  
presents and we could open ours. Nina said chirping up, remembering just how  
warmly her father had smiled when she had showed him the picture that they had  
taken.  
Then she suddenly stopped.  
She looked at her father and remembered what he had said.  
_- Thank you...Now I can move on...Thank you...Nina remembered her_  
_father saying with such a proud, relieved, relaxed and warm voice as he looked_  
_at the photo before laying back into the bed._  
She remembered his smile before she looked at her father now.  
They were the same.  
She looked at Alphonse.  
- So what are you doing now? Winry asked as Alphonse continued to pull out the  
presents from beneath the tree and stacked them up on top of each other's.  
- I am doing what I think is one of my brother's last requests. I am handing  
out his gifts. Alphonse said with a long sight.  
- But...But those presents are all TO Edward, why should we open them? Mei asked  
confused and puzzled.  
- No...You're wrong Mei. They are not to my brother, they are from my brother.  
My brother never really wishes for much. He never really needed to as we have  
seen today. He already had everything he ever wanted. He had already gotten the  
greatest gift, so what more could he possibly ask for? Alphonse said determined,  
yet still very calm and relaxed as he looked at everyone in the house as he was  
about to be finished.  
- You're...You're right...But I thought that was because he did not think  
that he deserved them after all that he has done. Winry explained.  
- And for some years, I can imagine that he probably did. But then he got all  
of us. And all of you. The things he deserved and won was already in front of  
him, why should he ask for more when he already had everything he ever wished  
for? Alphonse asked and turned around and looked at everyone, giving them all a  
warm look.  
Everyone tensed down and looked at him as he pulled up the stacks of presents  
in his hands and walked up to the table and set them down next to the book.  
Winry reached up to the book and opened it up.  
She quickly looked through the book a bit. Until she noticed that on some  
pages, there was a letter in the bottom middle of the page.  
A few pages later and the letter was back there again.  
She turned to the first and last pages of the book.  
The first picture was titled The Beginning. Surrounded by those whom I love.  
The last picture was titled The End. Surrounded by those whom I love.  
She then flipped back to the first page and started flipping through the pages.  
And the letters came together.  
E.  
And with that, Winry just closed the book and fell down into her chair again,  
sighting before she began to sob again.  
The kids turned around from the stack of presents and looked at their mother.  
- Mom...Maes and Nina said worried and walked up to her.  
- Mother...Trisha and Edwin said and walked to her and put their hands on  
her shoulders.  
Even thou they could not see it, Winry began to smile beneath her tears.  
Everyone looked at the scene before Alphonse returned his look at the presents  
and pulled up a present from the stack.  
Many looked the same and they were all wrapped in the same kind of paper.  
- To: Winry. From: Edward. Alphonse read of the small and thin gift in his  
hands and everyone looked up from Winry, even Winry and then she reached out  
and accepted the gift.  
Then Alphonse found another one.  
- To: Edwin. From: Edward. Alphonse handed and gave Edwin an almost identical  
package that Winry had.  
- To: Trisha. From: Edward. Alphonse said and Trisha accepted the gift from her  
father.  
- To: Nina. From: Edward. Alphonse said and kneeled down to give Nina the  
present.  
- To: Maes. From: Edward. Alphonse said after having caught his breath and gave  
Maes the package.  
The five looked at each other's and the identical gifts they had all been  
given.  
Many different looks crossed their faces.  
- To: Mei. From: Edward. Alphonse said and handed his wife her gift.  
- To: Clara. From: Edward. Alphonse said and gave a smile to his oldest  
daughter as he gave her the gift.  
- To: Mia. From: Edward. Alphonse said and Mia reached out and gave her father  
a smile as she accepted it.  
Alphonse picked up another gift.  
There were still some of Edward's identical packages left.  
Roy walked up.  
- Let me guess, To: Bastard. From: Shrimp? Roy asked half amused, yet still  
sounding sarcastic beyond belief.  
The next moment, he got slapped by both Alphonse and Riza and got five wrenches  
thrown at him and had to dodge three daggers.  
- For that, I am giving you yours last. Alphonse said annoyed and put the  
package back and picked up another.  
- To: Riza. From: Edward. Alphonse said and Riza walked up and accepted the  
gift.  
She then glared at Roy who immediately retreated.  
- To: Maya. From: Edward. Alphonse read and gave The First Daughter the  
present. She nodded and went to her mother's side.  
- To: Dan. From: Edward. Alphonse said to The First Son as Roy had recovered a  
bit as he walked up to Alphonse.  
Everyone glared at him for an intense moment before Alphonse calmed down with a  
sight.  
- To: Flame. From: Fullmetal. Alphonse said with a bit of formality and handed  
a surprised Roy his gift.  
Now there was only one gift left from Edward. And Alphonse already knew what it  
might read.  
But when he picked it up and turned it around, he stopped.  
- To: Brother. From: Brother. Alphonse read almost stunned before he nearly  
collapsed.  
Alphonse couldn't help it, the tears were coming and the sorrow struck him once  
again and nearly knocked him down.  
Alphonse held it back and sat down besides his wife before he let out a big  
sob.  
Everyone looked at him.  
They all had their identical gifts, no smaller thinner than a jewelry box  
thanks to the paper, but it felt even thinner. And no longer then a grown man's  
fingers.  
They all waited for Alphonse.  
Alphonse sighted and looked down at his gift before he grabbed hold of the  
strings and paper and began to rip it off.  
Everyone began doing the same.

The strings broke easily and the papers were even easier.  
But once the paper was gone, no one believed their eyes of what Edward Elric's  
last gift to them were.

It was so heartwarming and yet so...utterly...heartbreaking for them.


	8. You

You.

Everyone fell back into silence.  
Inside the packages, was pictures.  
Photos.  
Photos that they had never seen or known about before. And photos that they had not seen inside of the book.  
Each frame was different and each photo was different. But there was two things each photo had in common with each other's.  
At the top each frame was a golden emblem, each one different, but the thing carved out in each was the same. The word You.  
And the second thing was the fact that while Edward wasn't usually in the center of attention in each photo, he was still present in each.

Everyone could tell that the frames where handmade and crafted with great expertise. But they could not even begin to think of when he could have possibly have gotten a chance to make these.

Edward's children shared a look with each other's before they turned back to their photos.

The final gift from their father.

So that was what he was working on every time he was in the workshop whenever he had any free time and mom was out. Was a thought that crossed the four's mind.

Dan's frame was made to look like feathers and the emblems were also feathers.

The photo was of him, Edward and his father with his father looking angrily at him. Dan remembered that Edward had been snickering moments before Riza had snapped the picture.

But the Edward in the picture was no snickering. He was smiling. A proud and warm smile.

Dan quickly looked up from the photo and looked at Edward.

Maya's frame looked like the scales of a lizard. The emblems were inside of lizards.

The picture was from a few years back. It had been taken during the summer of that year during one of the group family's whole family picnics.

In the picture was her, her brother, her father, her mother, Edward, Winry, Edwin, Trisha, Nina and a rather young Maes in his mother's arms.

She had shown off that she had caught on her father's flame alchemy that day.

Her father looked surprised, Winry had looked amazed and her mother had looked worried. But Edward, he just looked proud….But with a warm smile.

Maya looked up from the photo and at Edward.

Riza's frame was shaped like hawk wings. The emblems were the silhouettes of a hawk.

In the picture was her, Roy, Edward and Winry. It was their wedding, so of course the two had to be there. Edward had been the best man. And while the photo had been taken at an unimportant moment of the wedding,, it did not take long for Riza to notice Edward's smile and almost immediately look up from her picture and then at the passed man.

Roy's frame was shaped like flames and the emblems were smaller flames.

In the picture was him and Riza, Edward and Winry. It was when he had finally proposed to Riza…..At Edward's and Winry's wedding.

Roy still remembered that day.

Because the moment after the picture had been taken, the crowd at Awwwed at them and both Edward and Winry had beaten the two up for stealing the spotlight.

Not that it was his fault that Riza had caught the bridal bouquet.

Then he noticed just how Edward was smiling and he immediately looked at his friend.

A raindrop hit the glass protecting the moment.

Mia's frame was shaped like the waves of the ocean and the emblems were small islands.

Edward knew that she liked to swim and to travel over water.

The picture was taken in Xing and it had herself, her sister, her mother, her father and her uncle and her aunt in it.

She was holding a bird that her mother had healed with Alkestry in her hands.

The bird had been hurt by some other animals and instead of chasing the hungry animals of, she had given them some food from the palace while her mother had healed the bird.

Then she saw her uncle's smile and she looked up at him.

Clara's frame looked like the mountains of Xing and the emblems looked like her favorite place to be in the mountains. The hot springs.

The picture was of her, her mother and her father, Edward and Winry. The day memories in the photo was nothing special, other than she had said she understood why Edward's children loved him so much. He was always so sweet and caring.

Then she noticed how he was smiling in the picture and looked up at her uncle.

Mei's frame was shaped like bamboo shoots and the emblems looked like Chao Mei.

A tear left her eyes, she remembered her old friend.

She glanced over at her husband to try and see what his picture was since it was making him cry so much. Then she turned back to her own.

The picture was of her, her husband and of course, of Edward and Winry. It was one of the happiest days of her life. The day she had married Alphonse. Nothing more, nothing less.

Then she saw how her brother in law was smiling. She made a light gasp and quickly looked up at Edward. Had she had the ability to save him, she would have given her all for sure. Especially after this.

Maes' frames looked like the sides of a book and the emblems were of open books.

His father knew that his love for reading books had gone to him and that whenever they were alone how the two of them could have been completely lost in the world of books for hours on end.

A tear hit the protective glass of the moment inside.

Maes was really going to miss having those moments now.

The picture was of him, his father and the fuhrer in his office when they had visited him a while back.

Maes was furious and screaming towards a shocked Roy who looked like he was seeing an army of ghosts or something.

Then he noticed his father and he had looked up from the picture.

Another tear hit the glass.

Nina's frame looked like several different dog types and the emblems were paw prints.

She had always liked dogs and while Den was gone, she was taking care of her three puppies. Sadly, both her own dog and the puppies were at the vet so that it wouldn't be a repetition of what had happened a few years back when Roy had brought with him his ignition gloves.

She remembered the day in the picture fondly.

She was in her father's arm as he was walking with her uncle on his side, both of them giving warm looks at each other's and at Nina. Her mother, Edwin and Trisha was seen in the distance.

Her father's eyes were a bit redden by the tears he had shed that day.

She really did not mean to scare her father and uncle like that, she just wanted to play with the dogs she had found.

Then she noticed her father's affection filled smile and she immediately looked up at him.

Trisha's frame was looked like wood and the emblems looked like a house.

Trisha did not know if that was meant for her or for her father's mother. Either way, knowing how lovingly her grandmother had raised her father and how that had made him turn out to be made her respect the choice.

In the picture was just her and her father, sitting by her bed side as the sun was rising through the windows.

She remembered it very clearly.

She had gotten a nasty fever and both her father and uncle had hurried to her side and both stayed there. Maybe it was because of Sara, or maybe it was because of their mother.

But the first thing she had seen when she had woken up when her fever had broken was her father by her side. Watching her.

And how he had smiled when she had woken up.

Then she realized exactly how her father had been smiling at her when she had woken up and in the picture and immediately looked up at her father.

Edwin's frame looked like lightning and the emblems looked like thunder clouds.

Edwin had always liked thunderstorms for some reason. But Edwin knew his father. And Edwin knew himself. Those weren't thunder lightning's. Those were alchemy lightning.

The photo was just him and his father at the entrance to Risembool school on a bright spring day.

Edwin had asked that day why his father was so proud that he went to school that day.

His father had answered with an embarrassed voice and a big grin and that after the day before in his own years, he had not been going to school since then. So it was like Edwin would continue were Edward had left off.

Winry was crying as she kept looking at the picture within the frame made out of old automail bits of Edward's own automail and the emblem wrenches.

The moment in the picture felt like it had only been yesterday, but it was so many years ago.

It was their wedding day and the two were dancing in the in the picture with Al and Mei in the background together with Roy and Riza and many more of their friends and familiars.

There were MANY pictures taken of them during that day, many of them when they had been dancing, but none of them had shown the two like this picture did.

They were both completely calm, happy and proud. They were both smiling.

Winry did not even to look up to see it to know it, yet she looked up just to get her eyes of the picture.

Alphonse was crying even worse than Winry as his shacking hands were holding the picture made to look like it was made from pieces of the old armor. The golden emblems was of that which many had considered his face for the years he had been inside of that armor.

The picture was of the two of them.

Alphonse Elric and Edward Elric.

The Elric Brothers.

Both in the hospital.

Alphonse was still in bed, but he looked a lot better than he had during The Promised Day.

Alphonse remembered the day clearly.

It was the day he said he was ready and healthy enough to get up and stand for himself and stop being locked inside the hospital walls.

There was another picture in the book that was taken a few moments before this picture. Edward had been grinning madly and hugged his brother tightly.

Here thou, he was sitting relaxed and smiling.

They were both smiling.

Alphonse nearly dropped the memory on the floor.

But he managed to control himself enough to put it on the table before he could not handle the grief anymore.

Everyone came to his side and supported him.

Winry was the first of the two who stopped crying and she made Alphonse stop crying by saying what she said next.

- Surrounded by those whom he loved. Winry said and looked up.

Alphonse looked up at her.

- Winry…..Alphonse said a bit shocked.

- Surrounded by those who he loved and that loved him. That was how he was born and that was how he died. He dies surrounded by those who he loved. Winry said with her strength returned to her.

- Winry…?Alphonse said a bit puzzled.

- This wasn't Edward's final request. This was his final gift to us. Winry said determined as she stood up and everyone looked at her.

- That is Edward for you. Always other's first, then himself, if even that. Roy said trying to hide how happy he was by sounding flat. He failed.

- Winry…Alphonse said as he tried to get back up.

- Come on. He is already smiling. Let's do it. His final request. That it ends like it started. With him surrounded by those that he loved.

- Mm-Hmm! Everyone said in unison and nodded firmly.

A few minutes later and everyone was ready, all of them standing behind the chair Edward was in.

Everyone was happy and smiling, but they weren't too happy.

They were all giving away a proud and warm smile as the camera flashed and became an immortalized moment that would last forever.

And so the books final picture was added.

Edward sitting in his chair, surrounded by both friends and family, all of those whom loved him.

Everyone looked happy, but also proud.

In the picture, it was more the obvious that the flame of determination and the fullmetal hearts would live on.


	9. Epilouge: The Look of Fire

1 year later.

The look of fire.

The snow fell outside of the window, painting the hills and valleys of Resembool white once again.

Riza was helping with the food as Roy sat in the sofa finishing up some paperwork.

Riza thought that it felt a bit cruel to have her husband do paperwork on Christmas, but unless he did, the country might get a bit stingy around New Year.

The sudden departure of The Fullmetal Alchemist had really shaken the country last year.

Riza sighted as she turned the stew.

She looked at her side and saw Alphonse sitting by the dinner table, he was looking through his brother's memories again and he was completely lost within them.

No one could escape the sad look on his face.

Alphonse children where helping Riza with the food while her own children helped their dad with some work.

She looked at the chair facing the door where Mei was sitting, cradling the youngest addition to the family.

Little Ed Elric.

It had taken a bit of talking before Winry had said okay to give him the name. That way, it wouldn't feel as painful as it did to be without him.

As she thought about it, she suddenly realized that she had stopped in the middle of her work.

If she was Roy, she would have found herself pointing a gun at herself at this moment.

Then once she snapped back to it, the painful reality of it all struck her down.

- Has it really been a whole year? Riza asked quietly to everyone and looked their way.

Everyone looked up from what they were doing and nodded. Alphonse with teary eyes and Mei found herself standing up with her sleeping son in arms and going up to her husband and started to comfort him.

- Where…Where is Winry and the kids? Riza asked when she noticed that they were missing the house hold owners.

Alphonse sighted and closed the book.

- At the cemetery. I will go and get them. Alphonse said with a heavy sight and stood up.

Everyone went quiet, knowing more than well what they were doing there.

It really had been a whole year since Edward had left them all.

Alphonse grabbed his clothes and walked out of the door.

Mei shielded her son from the cold as the mustang's grabbed the papers that went flying.

It wasn't that long to the cemetery, it never was. Everything was so close here in Resembool, and sometimes, it hurt that everything was so close.

Alphonse found his sister in law and her children at the same place that he had found them on Father's Day and the place where they would always find Winry when she was reminded by reality.

The Elric hill.

Winry stood in front of the four graves on the hill, her tears frozen by the cold, but they kept coming even thou they froze.

Edwin, Trisha, Nina and Maes had their heads low as they heard their mother cry.

The first grave was of Trisha Elric, the first. Alphonse and Edward's mother and the children's grandmother.

The grave beside it was of Van Hohenheim. Their father and the children's grandfather.

The grave beside it was of Sara Elric. Only 2 years old and the second Elric to be claimed by a sickness.

The grave beside it was the most recent grave added to the hill.

Edward Elric. Beloved Husband, Father, Friend and Brother.

Winry was on her knees as she saw the words on the graves.

Alphonse walked up to the hill in silence, but the snow made his approach known.

The children looked up from their mother and turned around.

- Uncle Alphonse…Nina said in her own tears.

- Come on children. It is time to go home. Alphonse said warmly and placed a comforting hand on Nina. He looked at the others.

- It is time to come home. Dinner is almost ready. The others are waiting for you. Alphonse continued as the children looked at him as their mother continued to weep. Her sobbing was getting more controlled.

- Come on Winry. Let's go home. Alphonse said as he picked up Nina in his arms and held her fondly. Winry's sobs were almost like whispers now.

The children turned to look at their mother and the grave of their father.

And Alphonse saw something deeply worrying.

- Come on Winry. Let's go home. You know that he is surrounded by those that love him even now. Don't take that away from him. Alphonse said softly and warmly to her.

- You're…You're right Alphonse. Let's go home. The others are no doubt waiting for us. Winry said with a quivering voice as she dried her tears and stood up and grabbed Trisha and Edwin by their hands.

Maes grabbed Alphonse' by his free hand and the four left the resting to continue to rest in peace.

By the time they made it back home, Little Ed was awake and dinner was almost ready, the table was being set.

The book was being put to the side as Roy finished up the last of his paper work before dinner.

As Winry began to whimper again, both Roy and Riza looked up and noticed the children coming in behind her mother.

A look of worry crossed their faces as Alphonse put down Nina on the floor and helped them all to get out of their winter clothes as Maes shut the door behind them.

As they were all gathering around the table, Roy went up to Alphonse.

- Alphonse, have you seen the look on their faces recently? Roy whispered to Alphonse and the two looked at the four children in question. Edwin, Trisha, Nina and Maes.

- Yes I have. And it worries me. Alphonse said with a sight.

- When she cries, they burn with passion and compassion. But when she cries and she doesn't let them see her…..Roy continued.

- Whenever she visits the cemetery, they all have that look. Alphonse said as the two seated down next to each other's around the table.

- Yes. It is the look Edward used to have. They certainly are their father's children. They even has inherited their look of fire. Roy said almost admirably as he looked at the four siblings as they seated themselves next to each other's around the table. But his voice hinted of worry as well.

- Indeed they are. But whenever I see that look in their eyes, I fear of what they might do. Alphonse said as they all looked into the eyes of the four children who just lost their father a year ago.

It was a look of fire and determination.


End file.
